Skills & Competencies for Merchandiser

Merchandiser job profile

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JOB SUMMARY for Merchandiser

Merchandises products and implement merchandising plans in a retail environment.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES for Merchandiser

Works closely with store sales staff to improve the consumer buying experience by providing support for merchandising plans. Monitors inventories and sales and generates reports for product lines. Troubleshoots delivery or vendor issues and develop solutions to ensure product availability. Coordinates maintenance of pricing, markdowns, on-order, and merchandising guidelines and product knowledge information with sellers.

Merchandiser SALARY RANGE

BASE 50%
$68,548
TOTAL 50%
$70,390
Job Level
P02
Job Code
SM15000387
Education/Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Reports To
Manager

Merchandiser Skills and Competencies List

Proficiency Levels and Behavioural Indicators
Salary.com identifies five increasing levels of proficiency for each skill/competency. Some jobs require only a relatively low level of proficiency in each skill/competency, while other jobs will require a more advanced level of proficiency in the same skill/competency. These levels rate the degree of proficiency (skill level, expertise) we expect the incumbent to perform in the given skill/competency for the given job. Note that we intentionally do not associate timeframes or years of experience in performing the skill/competency because that can be misleading. Proficiency levels identify what the incumbent knows and can do rather than how long they have been doing it. Also, note that the proficiency levels are cumulative, e.g., a level 4 proficiency implies the ability to perform all the behaviors at the lower levels.
Check each Merchandiser skill and competencie below to view definitions.
INDUSTRY COMPETENCIES JOB FAMILY COMPETENCIES CORE COMPETENCIES
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11 hard skills or competencies (industry competencies) for Merchandiser

1 Industry Competency – Retail Industry
Proficiency Level -2
Skill definition-Applying comprehensive knowledge of retail principles, inventory management, pricing strategies, and consumer behavior to effectively manage and operate retail businesses.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Identifies and explains the characteristics and key features of various retail business models.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Identifies and explains major operational issues and considerations.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Implements promotional activities to communicate the features and benefits of new products.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Monitors and optimizes retail operations to enhance productivity and cost-effectiveness.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Explores the historical and future positioning of the organization in light of prevailing retail trends.
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2 Industry Competency – Cross Merchandising
Proficiency Level -2
Skill definition-Utilizing visual merchandising techniques to place and display complementary products next to each other to enhance shopping experience and sales.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Explains the key components in implementing a successful cross merchandising strategy.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Supports the management with product grouping and adjacencies by ensuring balanced and symmetrical displays.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Tailors product offerings based on seasonal themes and decorations in alignment with relevant events.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Supports the management in establishing a visually appealing atmosphere to complement brand identity.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Establishes cross merchandising initiatives to reflect the brand's mission and values across customer touchpoints.
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3 Merchandiser - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Merchandiser
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Merchandiser
Proficiency Level - 5

3 general skills or competencies (Job family competencies) for Merchandiser

1 Job Family Competencies – Marketing Operations
Proficiency Level -1
Skill definition-Designing, executing, and optimizing systems, tools, and processes to ensure the smooth and efficient operations of marketing activities.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Identifies the techniques used in optimizing our business's marketing operations.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Conducts basic research to support the deployment of our marketing projects.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Partners with other teams in establishing and maintaining marketing operations standards.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Oversees all aspects of marketing operations to ensure increased efficiencies and conversion rates.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Develops and executes innovative strategies to optimize the costs of our marketing activities.
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2 Job Family Competencies – Promotion
Proficiency Level -2
Skill definition-Developing and implementing promotional activities to attract and increase the awareness of customers in buying products.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Lists the basic techniques used in executing promotion in the marketing sector.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Shows potential customers how a product or service works.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Implements promotional activities in accordance with the set budget.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Manages various promotional initiatives such as direct marketing and sales promotion.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Establishes a metric system to evaluate the effectiveness of major promotional efforts.
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3 Merchandiser - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Merchandiser
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Merchandiser
Proficiency Level - 5

10 soft skills or competencies (core competencies) for Merchandiser

1 Core Competencies – Scheduling
Proficiency Level -2
Skill definition-Ability to plan and organize activities, tasks, and resources to achieve business goals and objectives within timeframe and budget.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Lists ways to improve scheduling skills, including setting deadlines, using a planner and delegating tasks.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Reports the changes in scheduled appointments for management to review.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Uses organizational workforce models to determine schedules that meet operational commitments.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Organizes calendars for department personnel to set meetings, conferences, teleconferences, and travel.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Designs an organizational timetable to keep track of all scheduled activities of employees.
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2 Core Competencies – Key Performance Indicators (KPI)
Proficiency Level -2
Skill definition-Knowledge of and ability to apply a set of quantifiable measurements to determine how effectively an individual, team or organization is achieving a business objective.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Explains the benefits and risks of using KPIs.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Gathers internal and external benchmarks for KPI development.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Interprets and analyses KPI data to recommend courses of action.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Evaluates ongoing productivity; recommends corresponding modifications on KPIs as indicated.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Establishes organizational Key Performance Indicators (KPI) frameworks and management processes.
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3 Merchandiser - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Merchandiser
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Merchandiser
Proficiency Level - 5

Summary of Merchandiser skills and competencies

There are 11 hard skills for Merchandiser, Retail Industry, Cross Merchandising, Retail Pricing, etc.
3 general skills for Merchandiser, Marketing Operations, Promotion, Inventory Control.
10 soft skills for Merchandiser, Scheduling, Key Performance Indicators (KPI), Attention to Detail, etc.
While the list totals 24 distinct skills, it's important to note that not all are required to be mastered to the same degree. Some skills may only need a basic understanding, whereas others demand a higher level of expertise.
For instance, as a Merchandiser, he or she needs to be proficient in Scheduling, be proficient in Key Performance Indicators (KPI), and be proficient in Attention to Detail.

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